Match package and method of



Aug. 22, 1933 P. w. DIETMANN MATCH PACKAGE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURINGSAME Fil'ed Sept. 9, 1931 Patented Aug. 22, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE MATCH PACKAGE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME Paul WilhelmDietmann, J onkoping, Sweden 12 Claims.

This invention relates to match packages of the kind in which one ormore rows of individual matches are connected as by gluing or pasting toa common base or envelope of cardboard, paper or the like. .In packagesof this kind it has been heretofore proposed to attach matches ofcardboard to an envelope by pasting them along one edge thereof, thematches being adapted, when withdrawn, to be detached at the connectingpoint. It has proved, however, that the matches are generally held fastto the envelope with such a strength that they will break at the pointwhere they are gripped rather than separate at the connecting point.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved match packageof the above said kind and an improved method of manufacturing suchpackages in a simple and economical manner. According to the inventionthe matches are connected by gluing or pasting to tongues projectingfrom the envelope and formed integral therewith, said tongues beingadapted to be torn off from the envelope when the matches are drawn out.Such a package is very suitable for insertion in cigarette boxes or thelike and in such case a striking surface may be provided in such manneras to ignite the match when withdrawn. The matches may be positionedclose to each other or at slight intervals, preferably corresponding tothe width of one match, in order to facilitate the gripping of thematches.

In the manufacture of such match packages a match strip and an envelopestrip are preferably first manufactured separately. The match strip maybe manufactured by splitting a ribbon of suitable material at one orboth edges so that the splints thus produced will be connected to acommon base strip, whereupon the matches are impregnated with paraffineand have heads put on. In order to provide spaces between the individualmatches several match strips may, however, be cut from a ribbon ofmaterial in such manner that the matches of adjacent strips will engagethe space between each other alternately. The matches are thus only cutto part of their desired length which is of great advantage, as far asthe heading of the matches is concerned, because the production ofdouble heads will be prevented, which is a usual drawback in connectionwith the heading of long and weak matches. The strip of material to beused as an envelope is first passed between rollers to provide it with asurface of striking material and is then passed, after drying, betweenpasting rollers, the match strip being then carried to the pastedenvelope strip. The strips are thereupon carried to a cutting tool bywhich the individual matches are separated, whereupon the envelope maybe folded, if desired, around the headed ends of the matches and thestrips may be cut to the desired lengths.

The invention is illustrated in two examples in the accompanyingdrawing, in which Fig. l illustrates two successive stages of themanufacture of a package according to the invention,while Fig. 2 showsthe finished package and Fig. 8 illustrates a somewhat modified methodof manufacturing.

With reference to the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates a strip of paper,cardboard or other. suitable material at the edges of which two rows ofoppositely positioned matches 2 are partially. cut. The distance betweenthe matches of each row is equal to the width of the matches, inasmuchas, for the sake of saving of material, the 75 cutting operation hasbeen effected in such manner, which is well-known per se, that a similarmatch strip the matches of which engage the spaces between the matches 2will be obtained at each edge of the strip 1. The undivided centralportion of the match strip is attached by gluing or pasting to thecentre of a ribbon of material 3 which is adapted to be used then as anenvelope for the matches and which is provided with striking surfaces l,4 prior to the attaching of the matches and, if desired, also withprints. After drying of the glue or paste that portion of the matchstrip 1 which is situated between each pair of opposite match spacestogether with the corresponding portion of the envelope ribbon 3 isremoved by a cutting operation. The match strip 1 as well as the ribbon3 of material are previously provided with perforations 5 intermediatebetween each pair of opposite matches to permit correct conveyance ofthe strip and ribbon so that the said cutting away operation will dividethe envelope material 3 in two halves, one for each row of matches, andwill further make the matches completely free from each other so thatthe matches will only be connected to the respective tongues 6 of theenvelope, see Fig. 2, to which they are attached by gluing and whichhave" been formed by the said first-mentioned cutting operation. Bytransverse slits packages '7 of suitable length are then cut off. Priorto this cutting operation the envelope ribbon 3 has been provided withlongitudinally extending folding scorings 8 to permit the packages to beeasily folded to their final form, shown in Fig. 2, prior to orsubsequent to the cutting operation.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 the distance between the matches ofeach row is made larger than normal at uniform intervals correspondingto the desired width of the packages in order that the envelope mayobtain the desired width with. relation to the row of matches includedtherein. This arrangement, however, is not absolutely necessary.

The envelope is formed from a material which allows the tongues whichserve to attach the matches to the envelope to be torn off at their basewithout requiring the envelope to be held or compressed with such apower that the matches will be torn off at the same time. In certaincases it may be of advantage to weaken the tongues at their base, whichmay be effected, for instance, by making incisions in wellknown way atthe base of the tongues or by moistening the envelope ribbon along thebase of the tongues with a liquid capable of weakening the fibres of thematerial.

Instead of entirely removi g the material situated between oppositematch spaces the matches may also be separated by cutting this materialin such a way that laps which only hang together with the envelope willremain between the tongues, said laps being of approximately the samelength and the same width as the tongues. Said laps may then be foldedto engage the envelope between the matches to serve as guide-ways forthe matches. It is to be noted that said tongues should, preferably, be

somewhat narrower than the match space in order to permit th match headsto pass therebetween or, the heads should have a width which must not begreater than that of the matches. Because of the fact that the laps arenaturally thicker than the matches, an undue pressure cannot be exertedupon the matches, in the withdrawal thereof from the envelope. In casethe laps be attached by gluing to both sides of the envelope they willform, together with said sides, passages which are closed all around andwhich are of a less depth than the thickness of the match heads so thatupon the withdrawal of the matches the heads will be pressed, due to theelasticity of the material, against the striking surfaces with asuficient pressure to cause ignition without requiring anycompression'of the envelope by hand. Instead of pasting the laps to bothsides of the envelope the necessary pressure may also be secured byplacing a'metal clip around the envelope at the level of the laps whichclip will maintain the sides of the envelope in engagement with thelaps.

In Fig. 3 a modified method of manufacturing the package is illustrated.Also in this case there is pasted to the envelope ribbon 3 a match strip1 having two rows of oppositely directed matches 2 and which is producedin'the same way. as described with connection to the match strip shownin Fig. l. The matches of both match rows, however, are not situated inregister with each other but are displaced relatively to each other by adistance which corresponds to the width of the matches. The separationof the matches or the envelope halves is effected in this case by aaigzag-shaped cutting 9 formed in the central portion of the match stripand the envelope. It is seen that there is no loss of material at all inthis case. It should be noted that the package may also contain two rowsof matches, provided both of the'opposite marginal portions of theenvelope are formed with tongues, and have matches attached thereto soas to render the packages symmetrical with respect to the line 8 ofFigs. 1 and 3.

What I claim is:

1. A match package, comprising in combination a row of matches and acommon envelope of sheet material having tongues projecting therefromand formed integrally therewith, the matches being pasted to saidtongues.

2. A match package, comprising a plurality of matches, a common envelopeof sheet material having integral tongues projecting therefrom, matchespasted to said tongues, and a striking surface on said envelope solocated as to cause the match heads to rub thereagainst in thewithdrawal of the matches from the package.

3. A match package, comprising a plurality of matches, a common envelopeof sheet material having integral tongues projecting therefrom, matchespasted to said tongues, said envelope being folded around the headedends of the matches, and a striking surface on said envelope at eachside of the matches.

4. A match package, comprising a plurality of matches, a common envelopeof sheet material having integral tongues projecting therefrom, matchespasted to said tongues, said tongues being separated by spacescorresponding to the width of the matches, and a striking surface orsurfaces on said envelope so located as to cause the match heads to rubthereagainst in the withdrawal of the matches from the package.

5 A match package comprising a plurality of matches, a common envelopeof sheet material having integral tongues projecting therefrom, matchespasted to said tongues and integral laps between the individual tongues,said laps being folded down on the envelope between the individualmatches so as to form guide-ways between themselves for the matches.

6. A match package, comprising a plurality of matches, a common envelopeof sheet material having integral tongues projecting therefrom, matchespasted to said tongues and integral laps between the individual tongues,said laps being of a Width substantially corresponding to that of thematches and being folded down on the envelope between the individualmatches so as, to form guide-ways between themselves for the matches.

'7. A method of manufacturing match packages which comprises producing astrip of matches coherent to a common portion, pasting said commonportion to a ribbon of sheet material, and separating the individualmatches from each other by subjecting the material of the match stripand the ribbon to a cutting operation.

8. A method of manufacturing match packages which consists in producinga strip of matches coherent to a common portion,pasting said commonportion to a ribbon of sheet material, separating the individual matchesfrom each other by subjecting the material of the match strip and theribbon to a cutting operation, folding saidribbon so as to inclose thematch heads, and securing the opposite portions of the ribbon to form anenvelope for the matches.

9. A method of manufacturing match packages ,which consists in producinga match strip comprising two rows of oppositely directed matchescoherent to a common portion, pasting said common portion to the centralportion of a ribbon of sheet material, separating the individual matchesfrom each other by a cutting operation giving as result two separatepackages strips, folding and securing the ribbons of each such strip toform an envelope for the respective matches.

10. A method of manufacturing match packages which consists in producinga match strip comprising two rows of oppositely directed matchescoherent to a common portion, cutting a material of sheet material tothe shape of a ribbon, applying striking surface mass to said ribbon,pasting said common portion of the match strip to the central portion ofsaid ribbon, separating the individual matches from each other by acutting operation giving as result two separate packages strips, foldingand securing the ribbons of each such strip to form an envelope for therespective matches.

11. A method of manufacturing match packages which consists in producinga match strip comprising two rows of oppositely directed matchescoherent to a common portion, adjacent matches of each row beingseparated by spaces corresponding to the width of one match andpositioned in register with the spaces of the other row, pasting saidcommon portion to the central portion of a ribbon of sheet material,separating the individual matches from each other by a zigzag-shaped cutformed in said common portion so as to form two separate package strips,folding and securing the ribbons of each such strip so as to form anenvelope for the respective matches.

12. A method of manufacturing match packages which consists in producinga match strip comprising two rows of oppositely directed matchescoherent to a common portion, adjacent matches of each row beingseparated by spaces corresponding to the width of one match andpositioned in register with the spaces of the other row, cutting a sheetmaterial to form a ribbon, applying striking surface mass to saidribbon, pasting the common portion of the match strip to the centralportion of said ribbon, separating the individual matches from eachother by a zigzag-shaped cut formed in said common portion so as to formtwo separate package strips, folding and securing the ribbons of eachsuch strip so as to form an envelope for the respective matches.

PAUL WILHELM DIETMANN.

